Some motor vehicles include a rear access panel, such as a tailgate or liftgate, that is mounted at its bottom on a pivot so that the access panel can be moved between a substantially vertical closed position and a generally horizontal open position. One or more wires or cables may be attached between a portion of the vehicle body and the tailgate to limit the extent to which the tailgate may be pivoted to its open position. The wires run through openings in the tailgate to a storage spool arranged in the interior of the tailgate which rotates to take up wire as the tailgate is closed and pay out wire as the tailgate is opened.